Introduction
Forget those sad, dry âhealthyâ carrot muffins from the grocery aisle. You deserve a cupcake thatâs ultra moist, warmly spiced, and crowned with a swoosh of tangy cream cheese frosting. These Carrot Cake Cupcakes pack shredded carrot for natural sweetness, crushed pineapple to lock in juiciness, and a whisper of toasted pecan crunch. Bake a batch, and watch them vanish faster than your phoneâs battery on launch day. đ
Ingredient Line Up (Makes 12 standard cupcakes)
| Wet Team | Amount | Notes |
| Neutral oil (avocado, canola) | ½ cup | Keeps crumb tender |
| Brown sugar, packed | ½ cup | Caramel depth |
| Granulated sugar | Âź cup | Balanced sweetness |
| Large eggs, room temp | 2 | Better rise |
| Vanilla extract | 1½ tsp | Flavor lift |
| Crushed pineapple, drained | â cup | Secret moisture weapon |
| Dry Team | Amount | Notes |
| All purpose flour | 1 cup | |
| Whole wheat pastry flour* | ½ cup | *or more AP flour |
| Baking powder | 1 tsp | |
| Baking soda | ½ tsp | |
| Fine sea salt | ½ tsp | |
| Ground cinnamon | 1 tsp | |
| Ground ginger | ½ tsp | |
| Ground nutmeg | â tsp |
| Fold Ins | Amount | Notes |
| Finely shredded carrots | 1 ½ cups (~2 med) | Pat excess moisture if very wet |
| Toasted pecans, chopped | ½ cup | Sub walnuts or raisins if you must |
Dreamy Cream Cheese Frosting
- 6 oz full fat cream cheese, room temp
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temp
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Beat butter + cream cheese until fluffy; add sugar ½ cup at a time, then vanilla & salt. Chill 20 min for pipe able texture.
Step by Step: From Batter to Bakery Level
- Prep. Heat oven to 350 °F / 175 °C. Line a 12 well muffin tin with paper liners.
- Whisk wets. In a bowl, whisk oil, both sugars, eggs, vanilla, and pineapple until glossy.
- Combine dries. In a separate bowl, whisk flours, powders, salt, and spices.
- Marry bowls. Fold dry mix into wet just until streaks vanish over mix = tough crumb.
- Add veggies & nuts. Gently fold carrots and pecans into batter.
- Fill & bake. Divide batter evenly (â Âź cup each liner). Bake 18â20 min; tops spring back when lightly poked.
- Cool. Set pan on rack 5 min; transfer cupcakes to rack until room temp.
- Frost. Pipe or spoon frosting; sprinkle extra chopped pecans or a dust of cinnamon for flair.
Pro Tips & Variations
- Super fluffy hack: Swap 2 Tbsp oil for unsweetened applesauce; adds lift.
- Coconut twist: Replace half pecans with shredded coconut + Âź tsp coconut extract in frosting.
- Gluten free: Use 1 ½ cups 1:1 GF baking blend; add ½ tsp xanthan if blend lacks it.
- Make ahead: Unfrosted cupcakes freeze perfectly wrap & store 1 month; thaw, frost, serve.
Nutrition Snapshot (1 frosted cupcake)
| Calories | Carbs | Protein | Fat |
| ~285 | 32 g | 3 g | 17 g |
Treat yourself to a bike ride later. đ´ââď¸
Final Bite
These Carrot Cake Cupcakes hit every note: spice forward, fruit sweet, nut crunchy, and finished with luscious cream cheese clouds. Bake once and youâll retire every boxed mix in your pantry. Grab that whisk, dessert glory awaits! đĽđ§
